PROBLEM SET 5 Problems for Chapter 5 1. For each part below, start with and IS-LM diagram drawn like that below. i LM A i1 IS Y1 Y Suggest a mix of monetary and fiscal policy that will achieve the following objectives. Justify your answers by using the diagram and explain your reasoning. a. b. 2. Increase Y while keeping I constant at i1. Decrease the government budget deficit while keeping Y constant at Y1. Use the graph below to answer the following questions. Suppose the economy is initially at point A in the graph. Assume that government spending increases. i LM A i1 IS Y1 a. b. Y What effect will this increase in government spending (G) have on the IS curve? Suppose that the Fed wants to maintain the interest rate at the initial level (i1). What type of monetary policy must the Fed pursue to maintain the interest rate at its initial level? Illustrate the effects of the higher government spending and the Fed response in the diagram above. In your graph, label the new equilibrium. 3. Briefly discuss what effect each of the following separate events will have on the IS curve, LM curve, equilibrium output, and the equilibrium interest rate. Show the impact in a graph of the IS-LM model. a. An increase in consumer confidence. b. A reduction in consumer confidence. c. An increase in the use of credit cards (HINT: Consider the impact on money demand). d. A decrease in the nominal money supply. e. An increase in the nominal money supply. f. An increase in the price level. g. A decrease in the price level. 4. Use the graphs below to answer the following questions. Interest rate (i) Interest rate (i) M/P A A i0 i0 (M/P)d (Y0) Md , M s a. b. c. d. Y0 Y Initially let I = i0 and Y = Y0. Suppose Y falls to Y1. Illustrate what happens to money demand as a result of this drop in Y. At the interest rate, what type of situation exists? Briefly explain. What must happen to the interest rate as a result of the drop in Y? Briefly explain. Label the new equilibrium A’ after you mark it in the graph on the right side above. Repeat the analysis in a and b assuming that Y falls even further to Y2. Label this point A” and plot it in the graph on the right side above. What does the plot of points in the right-hand graph above represent? Explain. TEXTBOOK, p. 105- 106: #1, 7 (a and b) 2 SELECTED ANSWERS 1. a. Expansionary fiscal policy (increase government spending and/or decrease taxes), other things constant, will increase the interest rate. To bring the interest rate back down to i1, the Fed can implement an expansionary monetary policy. i LM Expansionary fiscal policy shifts IS right. A B Expansionary monetary policy shifts LM right. i1 IS Y1 Y2 Y b. Decreasing the deficit requires contractionary fiscal policy, which, other things constant, decreases Y. To keep Y at Y1, given the contractionary fiscal policy, requires expansionary monetary policy. (This is the Clinton-Greenspan policy mix described on p. 98 of the text). i LM Expansionary monetary policy shifts LM right. A i1 B Contractionary fiscal policy shifts IS left. i2 IS Y1 Y a. The IS curve shifts to the right. b. To keep i at the initial level, the Fed must increase the money supply as money demand increases. This will shift the LM curve right. The final equilibrium is at point B, as depicted on the next page. 2. 3 i LM A B i1 IS Y1 Y2 Y 3. EQUILIBRIUM Y (+ increase; - decrease) + + + + CURVE THAT SHIFTS IS right IS left LM right LM left LM right LM left LM right a. b. c. d. e. f. g. EQUILIBRIUM i (+ increase; - decrease) + + + - 4. a. The drop in Y will cause a drop in transactions and, therefore, a drop in money demand. Money demand falls to Md’. At the initial interest rate, there is now an excess supply of money. Individuals hold more money than they would like. b. For the money market to be in equilibrium, i must fall to restore equilibrium. The new equilibrium is given by point A’. See the graph below. Interest rate (i) Interest rate (i) M/P A A i0 i0 A’ i1 i2 A’ A” A” d (M/P) (Y0) (M/P)d (Y1) Md , M s c. d. Y2 Y1 Y0 Y See the graph. The combinations of i and Y which maintain equilibrium in the money market form the LM curve. 4 TEXTBOOK: #1: a. True. b. True. c. False. d. False. The balanced budget multiplier is positive (it equals 1), so the IS curve shifts right. (This is a bit “advanced.”) e. False. f. Uncertain. An increase in G leads to an increase in Y (which tends to increase investment), but an increase in the interest rate (which tends to reduce investment). 5